1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to ink jet recording methods and records.
2. Related Art
Demands have recently been increasing for glitter images recorded on the recording surface of media. Known methods for forming glitter images include a hot stamping method in which a record is produced by pressing a metal foil against a recording medium having a highly flat recording surface, a vacuum deposition method in which a metal or the like is deposited in vacuum onto a plastic film having a flat recording surface, and a method in which a glitter pigment ink is applied to a recording medium and the medium is subjected to pressing.
An ink jet recording method is also known in which an image is recorded by ejecting an ink containing a glitter pigment (hereinafter, also referred to as glitter ink) (see, for example, JP-A-2008-174712). Recording methods using such a glitter ink are advantageous in that glitter images can be formed simply and various images can be produced easily.
Images that are recorded using a glitter ink (metallic images) show metallic glossiness immediately after being printed. However, the images become discolored and the glitter (glossiness) decreases more quickly than images produced using general color inks. Further, the decrease in glitter is more noticeable to human eyes than the discoloration of usual color inks. A possible approach to prevent a decrease in glossiness is for a glitter ink to contain additives that are effective in preventing the discoloration of glitter pigments, such as discoloration inhibitors and UV absorbers. However, some of the discoloration inhibitors are not desirable from the viewpoints of safety and environmental friendliness. Further, some additives can cause marked changes in properties of the ink in a short time. Furthermore, many of the additives do not produce desired effects.